Campbell comes up big again as VSLL Majors win district title

Members of the Viera-Suntree Little League Majors baseball All-Star team pose with the District 2 championship banner after beating Eau Gallie 4-3 in the title game.

VIERA VOICE Photo Courtesy Paul Soehnlein

Luke Campbell came up with another clutch hit and the Viera-Suntree Little League Majors baseball team is now your District 2 champion.

Cambell hit a bases loaded walk-off single to give the VSLL a 4-3 victory over Eau Gallie in the title game. Earlier in the week, he hit a go-ahead two-run home – also against Eau Gallie – to put the VSLL into the district title game.

Eau Gallie, which had to work its way back to the title game through the loser’s bracket, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

However, the VSLL answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on lead off walks to Dylan Jordan and Campbell. Both advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Apollos Horrell and a sacrifice fly by Lucas Glendinning.

Eau Gallie would come back to tie the game in the second on three consecutive singles, but the VSLL made a huge defensive play in the inning when an Eau Gallie runner was thrown out on a delayed steal from third.

The VSLL would re-take the lead in the bottom of the third on a one-out single by Campbell, a walk to Horrell and an RBI single to center by Luc Iten.

It would stay that way until Eau Gallie tied the score in the top of the sixth inning.

But in the bottom of the inning, PJ Befumo singled, Cameron Simpkins and Jordan walked and then Campbell came up with two outs and hit a line drive to right-center field to win it.

Jordan started the game on the mound for the VSLL, going four innings while giving up two runs on four hits and striking out five. Campbell pitched the final two innings and gave up one run on one hit while striking out one.

The VSLL also got solid play throughout the tournament from Anthony Soehnlein; Brycen Weeks; Carson Cruse; Carter Virsik; Jaden Mack and Logan Keith.

All told, the VSLL went 5-0 in district play and outscored opponents 55-6 without committing a single error.

The sectionals are scheduled to take place July 14 at Viera Regional Park.

With a talented and experienced team that has been together for several years, manager Travis Mack believes this is a team that is ready to take the next step.

“Most of the kids have been together for three years and we feel very good about what we’re doing,” Mack said after the previous win over Eau Gallie. “We’re doing the small stuff now as a mature, 12-year-old baseball team.

“At the end of the day, we feel good about what we can do. We feel like we’re going to go a long way.”